Foreword 1

If there is one finding in this book that stands out above all others,I believe it is this: data is becoming a new and critical resource that will drive human progress.

Put simply, data is a resource as essential to development as oil, indeed much more so. We all know that oil will one day run out; data, on the other hand, will never be used up, and the more people use it, the more valuable it becomes.

The uncharted territory that lies before us throws up many unanswered questions. How is data to be used appropriately? How should privacy be protected? How can data be harnessed so that it delivers maximum benefits and minimum drawbacks to mankind?With so many unanswered questions it is easy to succumb to feelings of dread and foreboding. But anxiety solves no problems. Instead we must work hard to look for answers and solutions. Rather than fleeing the challenge, we choose to look at matters soberly and explore the potential impact of data, and to do so in a holistic way.

I would like to thank the scholars whose excellent research forms the basis of this book. Their findings and analysis will not necessarily provide instant and immediately applicable answers that all will agree with, but I am convinced they will help shed light on the path that lies ahead for mankind.

Among all the swirling questions about data and the future, to me one thing is crystal clear: machines cannot and never will replace humans, because it is ultimately human love and human wisdom that carries us all forward.

Jack Ma, The founder of Alibaba Group